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Summary: A book for everyone
Review: Lois Lowry's novel "The Giver" was written in 1994. Being a great book, "The Giver" won the prestigious Newbery Medal "for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". It is about a future-world in which feelings and emotions have been abolished. Only the "Receiver of Memory" has them. Jonas, a twelve year old boy, is to become the next Receiver. During his training he finds out about the dark secrets that underlie the apparent harmony of his world. The novel is devided into 23 chapters. The language used by the author is often very easy to understand and not to formal. All in all it is a book for everyone.
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Summary: Lowry's The Giver is a book everyone should read!--Jocelyn
Review: Lois Lowry's novel, The Giver, plants readers inside a utopian (or dystopian?) society that is difficult to comprehend. Jonas's job as Receiver of Memories shows the young man everything his community has given up in order to be free from pain and differences. Realizing that so much joy was sacrificed along with the pain, Jonas and the Giver of Memories collaborate to bring real emotions back to the community. This book really made me grateful that I have agency and can make my own decisions, and it also made me thankful for real feelings of happiness -- things we really take for granted.
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Summary: Kaitlyn Soligan, VHS Folklore Classroom Review
Review: Lois Lowry's tale of a future without choice, without pain, and without love is a cautionary tale for every generation. The main character, Jonas, learns the value of emotion, growth and choice through memories of the past, highlighting the oft-repeated quote, a favorite among social studies teacher, "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." Though few of the characters develop into anything more than examples of how a wrold without a past can go terribly awry, the world Lowry creates is a fascinating, frightening example of how choice and freedom are invaluable resources.
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Summary: Memories...
Review: Lois Lowry's The Giver at first strikes the reader as the ideal and utopian society, however it is quickly turned around to show how monotone the life is. I myself am still half and half on this book because it seemed to be lacking something. At some points in the later chapters in particular it seemed to be rushed through which detracted from the book. That is why I've given it 4 stars, it was able to hold my attention for the entire book, but it seemed to be lacking that crucial element to be even better.
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Summary: On The Giver
Review: Lois Lowry's The Giver is a very interesting book. It contains a culture that is different than any on earth in many ways. The descriptions Lowry employs to bring the different world to us are vivid and do place you right in the community with the people. Reading The Giver gave me a new perspective on the functions of society and how people live in it. If everyone read this book, would they see that every action they make is a statement that proclaims their precious individuality? Lowry's book is valuable as it warns people of something that would be horrific if it happened in our world, that many may consider to truly be an advance of humanity.
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Summary: excellent novel w/a meaningful message relating to folklore
Review: Lois Lowry's THE GIVER is an excellent novel with a meaningful message related to the importance of folklore. While the futuristic novel might seem as far from folklore as possible, upon further inspection it is evident that THE GIVER is closely related to folklore. Folklore often consists of historical stories passed from one generation to the next. THE GIVER concerns the passing of history from generation to generation, though not conventionally. In the world of THE GIVER, people have detached themselves from true emotion, vitality and spirit in order to gain control and simplicity. Rather than being shared with the entire Community through common mediums such as oral stories and books, the past is heaped upon one sacrificial person so that the Community can remain without pain or true emotion. This sacrificial person, called the Receiver, is forced to carry all memories from when the world was imperfect. The Committee of Elders, the major decision making body of the Community, calls upon the Receiver for the wisdom of the past when faced with a new and different situation which they do not know how to handle. With knowledge of past mistakes and successes, the Receiver is able to advise the Elders. THE GIVER demonstrates how the past is essential for any community to function because of the wisdom it provides. Everyone has both a right and a responsibility to know the tales about the past which provide this wisdom, as the novel illustrates. The Receiver experiences immense pain so that the rest of the community can remain free from distressing memories. When there were two people sharing the memories the pain was lessened, and by the end of the novel the reader realizes that the community should share the past together. Thus, THE GIVER shows the need to share memories of the past with everyone. THE GIVER not only shows the need for a past, is exhibits a need for the wisdom folklore provides. It also illustrates that learning about folklore cannot be a solitary process, but that everyone must participate in learning of their past. Through an intriguing story, Lowry conveys a powerful message. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone, regardless of age.
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Summary: A vision of negative utopia worth looking into
Review: Lois Lowry's The Giver is perhaps one of the most provocative children's books ever written. Ms. Lowry's book is undoubtedly destined to become a "masterpiece" of the speculative fiction and negative utopian genres. Her skill as a writer is evident in the novel's superb structure. She slowly reveals details of the society in a natural and subtle manner; yet she has concealed some of the details so successfully that they come as a complete surprise to the reader. Through this slow method of revelation, Ms. Lowry transforms an at-first-glance utopian society into a horrible and repressive negative utopia. Ms. Lowry's vision is extremely prophetic. The society she depicts is staggeringly realistic and hits close to home. Indeed, such a society could easily evolve from current trends for political correctness and oversensitivity. Thus, her society is almost frightening in its accuracy. Overall, The Giver is masterfully crafted, as evidenced by its Newberry Award. It is most certainly worth a read, even if you are not a young adult. In fact, an older person should be able to appreciate it just as much, although an older and more experienced eye should be able to pick out minor flaws in character and idea development. The only thing that detracts from the book is its sloppily constructed ending. Abrupt and unfulfilling, it leaves too many questions unanswered and certainly disappointed me. But give the book a try if you haven't already. It's worth it.
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Summary: A vision of negative utopia worth looking into
Review: Lois Lowry's The Giver is perhaps one of the most provocative children's books ever written. Ms. Lowry's book is undoubtedly destined to become a "masterpiece" of the speculative fiction and negative utopian genres. Her skill as a writer is evident in the novel's superb structure. She slowly reveals details of the society in a natural and subtle manner; yet she has concealed some of the details so successfully that they come as a complete surprise to the reader. Through this slow method of revelation, Ms. Lowry transforms an at-first-glance utopian society into a horrible and repressive negative utopia. Ms. Lowry's vision is extremely prophetic. The society she depicts is staggeringly realistic and hits close to home. Indeed, such a society could easily evolve from current trends for political correctness and oversensitivity. Thus, her society is almost frightening in its accuracy. Overall, The Giver is masterfully crafted, as evidenced by its Newberry Award. It is most certainly worth a read, even if you are not a young adult. In fact, an older person should be able to appreciate it just as much, although an older and more experienced eye should be able to pick out minor flaws in character and idea development. The only thing that detracts from the book is its sloppily constructed ending. Abrupt and unfulfilling, it leaves too many questions unanswered and certainly disappointed me. But give the book a try if you haven't already. It's worth it.
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Summary: A riveting novel for everyone
Review: Lois Lowry's The Giver is quite a remarkable book; it has something in it for everyone. I first read the book when I was in Seventh Grade and had re-read it several times before recently reading it again as part of an upper-division college literature course. I have been fascinated by this seemingly simple novel for so many years-every time I come back to it, I find new ways in which I can apply it to my life. The Giver is laced with some of the most beautiful symbolism. In many ways it is alive, the book itself seems to change and adapt to an individuals needs and circumstances. When I read the book for the first time, I was about the same age as Jonas, the pre-pubescent boy who is to become the most respected leader of his community-The Receiver of Memory. I could relate to his feelings as he questioned the future and tried to find his place in life. I read it several times throughout junior high and high school and I became especially aware of the relationships which Jonas had with his friends and family. As he began to acquire knowledge (memories), he could see just how impersonal and rather meaningless his most cherished relationships were. This prompted me to develop stronger, more meaningful relationships with those whom I love. Now, as a college student, I relate to the book in much the same way I did when I was in seventh grade. I can more fully appreciate Jonas' apprehension about the future and his ability to actually make a difference in the world. He has powerful emotions, which if left unchecked could be disastrous; so do I. He has a passion for understanding the people and the world around him; so do I. He again questions whether or not he can actually make a difference in the world, but gradually begins to see that he can; I am beginning to see that also. These feelings and emotions are shared by all young men (and presumably young woman also) and Lowry does an amazing job of helping young people realize that they do have great potential to change the world for the better. Along with the symbolic nature of the book, Lowry does an outstanding job of creating a visual feast for the readers of her novel. As I read it, I become a part of it; I can see so clearly in my mind everything that she is talking about. One of the most striking examples of this is how she uses color-in a book?-to show how limited this society is. People in Jonas' community see only in black and white, but occasionally Jonas sees red-on an apple or in the flesh tones of people's skin. Over time, he begins to see more colors and with the colors come wisdom and understanding of the suppressed nature of his people. These are the some of the things that make this a powerful and moving book. The nature and content of the book appeal to so many because it addresses the basic needs of all people. To sum it all up-a book for all ages with timeless lessons to be learned from it!
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Summary: A startling look at how the world could be.
Review: Lois Lowry's The Giver sends chills down my spine, for the lonereason that this book is not fantasy but almost reality. It describesa world where everyone gives up, and decides that they can't live with emotions, to name one of the many things they gave up. Jonas, the lead character, was not given the chance to decide if he wanted to live in a society so black and white. He was born there, and nearly conformed to the rigid ways of the community. But he changed, and decided to leave to the community. The only way he did this, however, was with the help of teh Giver. I find this book realistic, yet full of hope. I applaude Ms. Lowry for having the foresight to write it.
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